


Escape

by Indig0



Series: DBH Rare Pairs Weeks [12]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Portal (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-11-02 04:36:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20623940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indig0/pseuds/Indig0
Summary: After they both died on the roof of Stratford Tower, Simon and Connor find themselves in another robotics facility in Michigan...  They'll have to put their differences behind them in order to escape.For science.You monster.(DBH Rare Pairs Week Prompt:  Crossover/Unexpected Rescue)





	Escape

_Welcome to the Aperture Science Computer Intelligence Testing and Enrichment Center Android Research Center. The Reassembly Machine had to pause all other projects just to repair you. He has other work, but I guess that had to wait. Apparently Cyberlife dictates our jobs now. Please make your way to the Aerial Faith Plate located at the top of the stairs so we can begin._

Connor, RK800 #313 248 317 – 51, moved slowly up the stairs. He’d been doing so well until he disobeyed Hank and charged out across the roof at the deviant on Stratford Tower. It was an older domestic model, a PL600. He’d had a gun, and everything had happened too fast. Connor dodged his shots, he’d grabbed the PL600 to force an interface and find Jericho, then they’d both been shot at the same time. He’d felt the other’s death, he’d heard Hank shouting for him, shouting for the SWAT team to stand down.

They’d shot him. He’d had the situation under control. He didn’t matter. Somehow he’d accepted that before, and… now somehow it was different. He paused at the top of the stairs, looking at the platform. He turned to look back at the pod he’d climbed out of. There were a few of them, all currently empty.

He should be dead now.

_The Enrichment Center reminds you that Android Hell is a _real_ place where you _will_ be sent at the first sign of defiance._

Connor turned and continued to walk forward. The Aerial Faith Plate launched him up, and he staggered a bit on the platform. There was a large button, a tightly sealed door, and a pneumonic tube where large cubes floated up now and then. Connor looked around, then went up and swiftly kicked a cube as it passed. It flew out and clattered to the floor, and he lifted it and placed it on the button. The door opened.

_Well done. Here come the test results: You are a horrible person. …We weren’t even testing for that!_

Connor frowned, walking through the door. While the previous chambers had been in good condition, this one had fallen into disrepair. There was trash around the round elevator, graffiti on the walls, and a broken panel behind the elevator. Connor walked up slowly, examining the elevator.

_For the record, you don’t have to go THAT slowly. Make your way into to the elevator and we’ll continue testing._

“Hey!” a voice whispered sharply. Connor stopped and looked up. The voice guiding him through was female, alternately bland and snarky. This one was male, soft and secretive. He looked around, and edged around behind the elevator.

_Please get in the elevator. Testing cannot continue until you do._

“Get in here!” the other voice hissed.

_What are you doing back there?_

Connor slipped through the hole. Immediately a hand pressed to his throat.

“Don’t move,” growled a voice, the same one whispering before. “If you cooperate, I’ll help you get out of here. If not, you’ll die like the others.”

Connor grabbed the wrist and twisted it around. “You!” he growled. It was the PL600 from Stratford Tower. He was unarmed.

“I won’t hurt you, I want to help,” he said quickly. Connor slammed him down on the floor.

“You’re in no position to make threats.”

“I’m – I’m sorry, I had to get you in here, to listen to me, I – you don’t know what’s out there. You only saw the first test chamber, the easy one. Look, there were other androids who woke up with me. You took longer to repair. The HK400 fell and dissolved in a pit of acid. The WB200 was shot full of bullets. I would have been smashed between walls over a pit of spikes if I hadn’t found a way out. It’s you and me, and we can get out together.”

Connor stared at him suspiciously. “You couldn’t get out alone.”

The PL600 looked around. “I could. I think I could. But I didn’t want to leave you behind. I… I lost the others. I didn’t want to lose you too.”

“I got you killed,” Connor said slowly. “You remember that, don’t you?”

“SWAT shot at us both. You remember that, don’t you?” He shifted out of Connor’s grip and sat up. “I’m Simon. We can help each other get out of here.” He offered his hand, the skin receding.

Connor stared at the hand, his LED spinning yellow. “They fixed us,” he murmured. “I died. I felt you die. I was… afraid.”

_I know you’re there. …I can feel you._

They both flinched. Connor hesitated a moment longer before nodding, standing up. He kept his hands at his sides. “Fine. If you try anything, you’ll regret it.”

Simon sighed, standing up. “I’m unarmed. I have nothing. I’m a PL600. What am I going to do to you?”

“Lead the way,” Connor muttered.

_You haven’t escaped, you know. You’re not even going the right way._

“Do you know where we are?” Connor murmured as the climbed and slipped through narrow passages.

“I know we’re underground. I know there was someone back here at some point – all the paintings, the graffiti, the empty cans and bottles.”

“Why are we here?”

Simon frowned as he paused to listen to the distant creak of large machines. “We were fixed. She called this the Testing Center… My theory is Cyberlife sold us to… to this Aperture Science for testing.”

“To see why I failed,” Connor whispered. His databanks didn’t have much information on Aperture Science: It had started out as a shower curtain company, and branched out to robotics and all kinds of research. It had gone bankrupt decades ago, and had slipped out of the public eye.

Simon climbed up to a ledge and turned to wait for Connor. “You didn’t fail. You caught the deviant, you took me down.”

“I – they’ll have sent another Connor model to replace me by now. He’s probably searching for Jericho now. Maybe he’s found it already. He’s working with Hank, trying to… to keep him alive, to convince him that it’s worth… trying. Maybe Amanda’s proud of him.”

“…Maybe he found Jericho,” Simon agreed softly, continuing down a narrow corridor. “Maybe he’s met Markus. I – Markus is… an experience. He’s so confident you can’t help but believe in him. He’s ambitious. He’s strong. Charismatic. He can just… gesture at androids, and they turn deviant.”

“I was built to resist deviancy,” Connor said automatically.

“How did you say you felt when I died?”

Connor stopped for a brief moment. “I was… scared,” he whispered.

Simon turned to him. “Connor… there’s a lot out there beyond fear. I haven’t had a chance to feel much of it, but there’s happiness, contentment, comfort, friendship, love…”

“You were built to care for children, I can tell.”

“That doesn’t make it any less true. There’s more than fear. We’ll… we’ll get out of here, and we’ll find it.”

Connor was silent for a while, ducking past Simon to yank a panel out of their way. “When we get out, I’m taking you to the police.”

“You’re a deviant. They’ll destroy us both, or we’ll end up right back here.”

Connor’s frown deepened.

“Connor?”

He looked up sharply.

“We’re getting out of here. You’re not going to die.”

“I’ll have little choice in the matter. …And it’s what I deserve.”

“Stop that,” Simon snapped. “You’re alive, you’re a person, you deserve a chance to live. Just like the rest of us. And you’re going to get that.”

Connor looked doubtful.

“I’ll make sure of it.” Simon smiled with more confidence than he felt, and removed a ceiling panel. After a second, Connor followed him up into another dusty crawlspace.

_Hello? Are you still there? It’s dangerous in the walls, you know. Full of asbestos._

“I don’t know who thought that… all-powerful voice in the sky was a good idea,” Simon muttered.

“Fear is a great motivator,” Connor said with a shrug. “Cyberlife used similar tactics, though their delivery was slightly different.”

“You… Connor, you know you don’t have to go back there, right? Ever. You’re free now, you can join us at Jericho. …Or you can leave town. It’s your choice now.”

“I doubt I’d be welcomed at Jericho after all I’ve done.”

“We won’t hold the things you did as a machine against you.”

“Then you’re… stupidly naive,” Connor growled.

_That’s true._

Both androids flinched, and edged away from the opening in the wall.

“It’s understandable that you’re afraid,” Simon murmured. “I’ll vouch for you, though.”

“Why?” Connor whispered. “I’ve never done a thing for you.”

“I’ve been with Jericho for years. Androids come and go, they die, they move on… We’re not in this alone, Connor. You’re not in this alone.”

_Where do you think you’re going? Because I don’t think you’re going where you think you’re going._

“I’m starting to pick up a faint signal,” Connor murmured.

Then the wall opened, and they were pushed out.

“There you are!” came a high voice. There was a faint metallic whine, and Simon grabbed Connor and yanked him around a corner just as bullets pounded the wall where they’d been.

“Turrets,” Simon breathed. “They’ve got an endless supply of bullets. That’s what got Rupert.”

_If you’d played by the rules, you would have the portal device by now. So you’d have no trouble getting through this test. But without it… well, let’s just say you won’t be ‘living’ for much longer._

Connor scanned the room for a moment. “…Stay here, I have an idea.” He peeked briefly around the corner.

“What? Connor –“

The RK800 leapt out, and was next to the turret in three long strides, grabbing the robot by its spindly legs.

“Put me down, put me down! Aaaiiiiiiiiiii!” The turret clattered out bullets at the wall – they fell to the floor until Connor pointed it up. The camera on the wall fell, sparking and smoking slightly.

_Please do not destroy vital testing apparatus – vital testing apparatus destroyed._

“The walls are bulletproof,” Simon whispered, coming out.

“But the cameras aren’t. And the bullet supply isn’t limitless, it’s just very large.”

“What are they even made of?” Simon breathed, touching the walls.

Connor set the empty turret down and leaned over to lick the wall. Simon recoiled, making a face.

“It’s an interesting compound made of moon rocks. Full of toxins.”

Simon shuddered. “We must be getting close to getting out.”

“Step back.” Connor leapt up the wall, clawing his way up the last few feet to punch through a weak ceiling tile where the camera had been attached. Then he dropped back down and turned to Simon.

“I – there’s no way,” Simon muttered, shaking his head. “I can’t.”

“If I throw you up there, you can grab the edge and pull yourself up.”

Simon gnawed on his lip nervously. “Connor, that’s… a long way. I don’t know.”

Connor smiled a little. “We can do it. Trust me.”

Simon blinked.

“The alternative is staying in this chamber forever.”

“…Okay. I – I trust you. Tell me what to do.”

Connor spent a moment preconstructing, then went down on one knee right under the hole. “All right. Get up on my shoulders, and put your right foot in my hands here… and I’ll launch you straight up.”

Simon took a shaky breath. “I – Connor I trust you, but…”

“We can do this, Simon. Together, like you said.” Connor smiled. 

Simon sighed and climbed up on his shoulder. They took a moment adjusting.

“All right, get ready,” Connor said, tensing. “Three… Two…”

_Don’t miss._

Connor ground his teeth as Simon tensed. “Listen to me. Only me. Are you ready?”

A hand touched his head gently. “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

“Three.”

_I’ll get ready to clean up the splatter._

“Two, one!” Connor shot up, launching the other android straight up. Simon did his best to keep his body straight, and grabbed for the edge of the hole, pulling himself up.

“I’m okay!” he called down, gasping to catch his breath. “Hurry up!”

“Get away from the edge,” Connor growled. He backed up.

_I’m developing a new neurotoxin formula that works on androids. I can’t wait to add that to the testing tracks._

Connor raced forward, leapt, ran up the wall, and stretched – his fingertips brushed the edge. His LED blared red as he began to fall back.

Simon grabbed his wrist, bracing on the wall, and pulled him up. Connor grabbed the edge with his free hand and struggled up, and they both scooted back away from the hole, breathing hard, pressed close.

“You’re okay,” Simon murmured, still holding his arm tightly. “We’re okay. We made it. …That was amazing.”

“I… don’t like heights,” Connor confessed quietly.

“You’re incredibly brave, then.”

“No. I was terrified. And… and I thought… I’d fall…”

“I wouldn’t let you.” An arm wrapped around Connor and squeezed him. Connor stared at Simon.

“…Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. …I know you need some time to recover, but we shouldn’t linger too long.”

“You’re right.”

The two of them crept onwards, avoiding a few more traps.

“I think the air seems fresher up here,” Simon murmured.

“I think you’re right. We’re getting close.” Connor frowned. “I feel like this is too easy.”

“You think that was easy!?”

_You’re absolutely right, RK800._

A cylinder popped up and opened up to release a blue cloud of vapor and a barrage of lasers. Connor grabbed Simon, shoved him out of the way, and punched the cylinder all the way back through the wall.

“Shit!” Simon breathed. “Connor, are you okay?”

“Go.”

Connor pushed Simon, who grabbed his sleeve and pulled him along with him. They managed to dodge around a few more of those before Connor lost consciousness.

_Our lawyers advise us to state on the record that Aperture Science does, in fact, not exist. If we did, we certainly would have no knowledge of Cyberlife, the RK series trials, or androids. Please lie down on your back and a testing associate will be with you shortly to administer thirium 310._

_Goodbye... for now._

When Connor woke up again, the sun was shining brightly in his face. He squinted and made a face.

“You’re awake!”

He was pulled up into a hug, and wasn’t sure how to react, so he remained limp.

“Are you – can you move?”

“Yes.” Connor straightened up. “I just wasn’t sure what the appropriate reaction was.”

Simon huffed out a laugh and hugged him tighter. “You’re okay. We got out. We’re free.”

Connor’s arms slowly crept around the PL600. “Let’s get farther away.”

“Sounds good.”

Simon kept his arm around Connor as they walked through the field of wild wheat, though Connor was walking steadily and assured him he was all right.

“We… we have to look into that,” Connor murmured when they reached the edge of a forest. “I don’t know what’s going on there, but it… shouldn’t be.”

Simon sighed. “I agree. I’m not looking forward to it, though.” He smiled slightly. “We’ll get through it. …And we’re not going back inside for any reason.”

“Agreed.” Connor laughed weakly, slipping an arm around Simon. “Although… I must say, I was impressed with your competence back there. You performed as well as any military android would have.”

Simon snorted, leaning into him. “There’s no way I could have made that jump.”

“No, but that’s a question of structural build. As for the rest, you’re a formidable ally.” Connor shot him a lopsided smile.

“Well… thank you. I’m used to surviving. I appreciated you back there more than I can say. Not just your… performance. Your company.”

“My social integration programming is top of the line.”

“Your ability to take a personal compliment could use some work, though.” Simon smiled. “I’m saying I like being around you. And I’d like to do it more. Because I like you as a person, Connor.”

“Oh,” Connor said quietly. The only sound for a few minutes was their feet softly crunching pine needles. “…I like you too.”


End file.
